Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a braising pot. Cook and stir the onions, over medium heat until they begin to develop a medium brown color, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with the herbs de Provence. Cook and stir until the mushrooms brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the onions and mushrooms with a slotted spoon and reserve.

Season the veal with salt and pepper. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pot that you cooked the onions and mushrooms, raise the heat to medium-high and sear the veal on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the veal to a plate.

Deglaze the pan by pouring the wine and stock into the pot, scraping up the brown bits. Cook for several minutes before adding back the veal and its collected juices. Toss in the bay leaf and fresh thyme, if using. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the reserved onions and mushrooms and continue cooking about 30 to 45 minutes or until the veal is fork tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme twigs; they’ll be easy to pick out. Place the veal on a plate and cover loosely with foil.

Create a slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, stir back into the pot and heat and repeat if necessary. If you are not serving the veal at once, refrigerate overnight. The veal will develop additional flavor and be even better the next day. It is easier to slice the veal when it is cold, then heat everything on low until cooked through.

Notes:

Yield: About 4 servings

Side Note The spirited gravy and brisket can be spooned over simple broad noodles or homemade spaetzle.

Look for a lean thin cut, just as you would a first cut beef brisket. It is small, but mighty and yields a very flavorful roast.

Behind the CounterHave your butcher cut a brisket from the breast trimmed of all fat and bones. Alternate cuts Veal or lamb stew meat (-$).

Feedback Mushrooms are funny little fungi sponges that soak up anything they mingle with, that includes liquid and flavor. To achieve browned mushrooms, you need high heat and less liquid. That’s why you should not salt the mushrooms while sautéing, as that will encourage them to release water and create mushy mushrooms. To clean mushrooms use a lightly dampened paper towel to wipe away any dirt. White cultivated mushrooms are usually pretty clean; cremini (mini Portobello) mushrooms tend to be dirtier. You can rinse them under cold running water and then quickly dry them.